Gas regulator



Patented July 29, 1924.

MNH@ STATES FEECE.

THOMAS J. CLEARY AND GEORGE E. QUINN, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA; IRENE CLEARY TREACY ADMINISTRATRX O F SAID THOMAS J'. CLEARY, DECEASED.

GAS REGULATOR.

Application led February 23, 1921.

T0 all whom may concern.'

Be it known that we, THOMAS J CLEAN and GEORGE F. Quinn, citizens of the United States, and residents of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Gras Regulators; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invent-ion relates to gas-regulators and more especially to regulators of the mercury type. Y

It is well known that there has been in recent years a great reduction in pressure of natural gas in certain territories, 4and every effort is being made to conserve the gas by the use of improved appliances for a more etiicient regulation. When low pressure conditions rprevail the users of the mercury gas-regulators now commonly in use, undergo great inconvenience, due to the reduction of the volume of gas in its passage through the regulator caused by friction, so that if the gas enters the regulator at a pressure of twoounces it will be reduced as much as one-half ounce at the outlet ofsaid regulator. If conservation of natural gas is to be realized provision must be made so that the consumer will have some means of automatically regulating the pressure, and at the same time without any material difference between the pressure at the inlet of the regulator and at the outlet.

The object of our invention is to provide a mercury gas-regulator in which provision is made for delivering the gas from the regulator without any noticeable reduction in pressure from the pressure of the gas on enteringl the regulator, and to these ends our invention comprises the novel features hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In 'the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of our improved regulator; and Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1.

In the drawing the numeral 2 designates the shell or casing provided with the inlet 3 and the outlet 4. At the upper end of the casing 2 is the cap 5 which is screwed on to said casing, and at the bottom of the casing is the screw-plate 6, said cap and plate being removed when it is desired to have access to said casing for purposes of repair, etc.

seal no. 447,272.

Formed within the casing 2 is the mercury chamber 7 with the dome kportion 8 having the opening 9 through which the rod 10 passes. Secured to the rod 10, at the upper end thereof, is the inverted cup-shaped float 11, and to provide for the adjustability of said fio-at on said rod 10, a threaded collar 12 engages the lower face of said fioat, and a nut 13 engages the upper face, so that by moving said collar 12 and 13 the position of the float 11 may be varied as conditions may require. The downwardly extending walls of the lioat 11 enter the `mercury chamber 7 and the escape of the gas is sealed.

Within the casing 2 is the expansion chamber 14, into which the inlet 3 leads, said lchamber being formed by the walls 15 and of gradually increasing cross sectional area from its point of juncture with the inlet 3 (see Fig. 2). Formed in the upper walls of the chamber 14 is the valveseat 16 to receive the valve 17 which is secured to the rod 10. In the bottom of the chamber 14 is the valve-seat 18 to receive the valve 19 secured to the rod 10. The opening through the valve seat 18 is equal to or greater than the cross sectional area of the inlet 3. The valve 19 is provided with the guide-wings 19a to insure 'fthe correct movement of said valve without any canting or tilting. The valve 17 is slightly smaller in area than the valve 19,` in view of the natural tendency of gas to produce an upward as distinguished from a downward pressure, and in this way the valves are balanced.

The chamber 14 has a larger area than the inlet 3 and merell for the purpose of illustration, and without in any way limiting our invention to any specific figures, the area of the expansion chamber 14 in a six inch regulator is 81.821 square inches, while the area of the inlet is 28,2743 square inches, and by act-ual experiment we have found that this difference in areas in connection with sufficient valve capacity will eliminate, or practically eliminate, any loss in gas volume caused by friction of the gas passing through the valves. rlhe area of the expansion chamber 14 being greater than the inlet, a greater volume of gas is collected in said chamber, and by permitting suflicient expansion, with the upper an lower valves in such proportions, we have succeededin, eliminatingA any noticeable reduction in gas volume or any interference with the sensitively the valvesto the sliglitestchange in the gas pressure, a consequence, ifthe pressure is low and the gas is at two ounces by the use of a valve chamber of greater area than the inlet there will be no noticeable reduction in the pressure at the outlet, which will remain at two ounces, or substantially so.`

By having the interior of thevalve casing free of"anyabriipt angles or shoulders to retard the free flow of the gas by the use of rounded portions 20, the gas has a free and unobstructed passage to the outlet, and in this manner the friction is reduced.

By'making the opening through the lower valve equal to or greater than the cross sectionalarea of the passage 3, greater freedom of passage is provided for the gas. If this valve opening were smaller than the inlet, there would, under certa-in conditions, be a choking or retarding effect produced at this point, thus causing pumping or pulsating of the valve members, thereby disturbing the uniformity of pressure desired.

lVith the size of Athe inlet and outlet of responsive action ofentering the regulatorA n with each of the regulator indicating the regulatorsize, the vave chamber and the upper and lower valves of each size are proportioned accordingly. or instance, thek valvefchamber andvalves in an eight inch regulator are proportionally larger than inthe six inch regulator, and in a four inch regulator proportionally smaller than in a siX inch regulator.

What we claim is:

In a gas regulator, the combination with a casing having inlet and outlet ports, of an inlet Vchamber formed therein between said ports and having an opening communicating said ports, the internal diameter of said chamber increasing in cross sectional area throughout the distance from the opening thereof which communicates with the inlet port to the opening which coinmunicates with the outlet port.

ln testimony whereof, we the said THOMAS J. GLEARY and GEORGE F. hereunto set our hands.

THOMAS J. GEORGE F.

CLEARY. QUINN.

Witnesses MARY M. GANNON, Roer. D. ToTTEN.

QUINN, have 

